ARIKI HOLIDAYS

"The tans will fade but the memories will last forever"

Kia Orana and Welcome to Ariki Holidays

At Ariki Holidays we offer visitors to Rarotonga a welcoming and fun place to stay as well as a range of onsite activities through our Ariki Adventures company to enhance your holiday experience.

ARIKI BUNGALOWS offers brand new self contained accommodation in a purpose built mini village setting. Located minutes from the stunning Muri Beach. We have 3 self contained studios with Air conditioning, BBQ and our Are Nui, (which means meeting house), where you can enjoy our delicious breakfasts, cook your BBQ and have a few drinks or just chillax on one of our double hammocks.

Island Colours and simple style

Kia Orana!

We have 3 self contained studios, each with their own kitchen and en suite and your personal outdoor deck area.

We have our on site bar and lounge area with local beer on tap, and once a week we like to host a guest BBQ to meet you and share travel stories and insight into Rarotonga.
We live on site and we can help you as little or as much as you need with your holiday plans while on your holiday.
We know the Island and the best places to eat and any attractions and adventures you want to join in on! Including our own of course!
Feel free to drop us a line with any questions you may have!

Our little piece of Paradise is a unique experience in Rarotonga, as we like to involve our guests with our adventure company and guests receive discount on all adventures and cycle, SUP and Kayak hire.

We provide some breakfast provisions for your first morning with homemade granola, and some fresh ground coffee from our cafe, fruit and bagels. We can have in your room also for a small extra fee: Kombucha, Beer or wine.

We have our own cafe not far from the bungalows with delicious coffee, our famous cold brew coffee and tea, as well as smoothies, bagels and basically a cool place to hang out! And of course guests get 10% discount!

We look forward to sharing our Island with you!

Kia Manuia

Jules, Kave and Tama

Our modern studio bungalows sleep two people on a very comfortable long double bed. Facilities include ensuite, self catering kitchen and your own mini-deck. The mini deck has a table and a couple of chairs so you can dine on the deck as well as a lounger for just chilling out and reading a book. For a small additional cost you can have air conditioning. If you are two friends and want single beds then simply let us know before you arrive and we can arrange it for you.

We have our communal area for our weekly BBQ, which is available for guests to use also.
We are a wifi hotspot so wifi is available for extra cost.

Moana Bungalow

Relax and unwind in our Arenui

Te Arenui is the social hub of Ariki Bungalows. You can chillax with other guests and enjoy our tropical gardens without having to go anywhere. Guests can use the BBQ, Fish Smoker and eat, drink and be merry. We often put down an “Umu” (traditional feast) to share with you. If relaxing at the end of the day is your thing, then you’ll love our Arenui and we love sharing it with you.

ARIKI ADVENTURES

"The tans will fade but the memories will last forever"

Try something magical with us!

Ariki Stand Up Paddle Tours include a range of day and night tour options all of which can be achieved by almost anyone as long as you can swim. Ariki SUP have the best fleet of boards on the Rarotonga that provide great stability and effortless glide through our lagoons. Our professional instructors provide FREE SUP instruction and guide you safely on our tours. Children as young as two years old can sit on the front and everyone is attached to the boards with a safety leash. Age or lack of paddling experience is no barrier to paddling with Ariki SUP and you don’t even have to stand up if you prefer not to. Many of our guests either sit or kneel, its totally up to you. So what are you waiting for?

Tama Chillaxin

Ariki Adventures pioneered the introduction of night paddling in the Cook Islands and are the first to introduce the adventure throughout the South Pacific. There are now copy cats but there is only one pioneer, Ariki Night SUP Lagoon Tours.

Night SUP Lagoon Tour

Our tours take in some breath taking scenery and engage with the wonders of the marine environment at night. Great family or group activity and its really easy paddling. This tour is truly magical at night and a must do!

Stand Up Paddle & Snorkel Tour

Learn to paddle and snorkel at some of the best snorkelling locations in Rarotonga at the same time. Turtles, giant trevelly, eels and giant clams are all out in our lagoon. Adventure and challenge all in one.

Cocktail Tour

Our Cocktail Tours offer the best of day and night paddling with a stop in between at one of our local resorts for a refreshing cocktail or two. Easy paddling and very relaxing, your sure to enjoy this one.

We build kiteboarders, join us!

At Ariki Kiteboarding we offer lesson packages, kite gear rentals and sales. We use the latest in Airush and AXIS kiteboarding equipment and our instructors are all International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) qualified. Our personal touch, passion for the sport and focus on safe kiting practices means we get to know our students and can tailor our instruction to suit their learning progression. Other schools churn out the dollar, we build kiter-pilots!

On The Fly Intro

Experience the feel of flying an inflatable kite. This 1 hour introduction to kite flying gives you a real feel of flying and the power of an inflatable kite. Your perfect intro to the sport of kiteboarding. Best of all is its heaps of fun!

Rig 2 Ride

Our Rig 2 Ride Kiteboarding course teaches you everything you need to know to get into our sport safely. From rigging the kite to riding a board, you’ll be ready to kick start your kiteboarding journey. We provide all the gear, you just bring the attitude to fly.

Kite Gear Rental

If you don’t want to bring your kite gear we can hook you up with our fantastic range of Airush & Axis kite gear. The first hour includes an assessment of your kite skills and advice on local kiting conditions and locations. A $200 bond is required.

First hour

$90 includes assessment

Hourly

$50

Daily

$150

Weekly

$450

Bond

$200

Come explore the interior of our rock!

Explore Rarotonga’s inland valley roads and trails off the beaten track. You can cruise along a dirt road with lush tropical rainforest scenery, then swim and cool off in the fresh water streams. Climb some challenging trails, take in the views and enjoy ride down. On our tours you can expect to ride 30+ kms making our tours challenging but fun. It includes a swim and snack break and lunch at the Mooring Cafe as an optional extra.

We’ve partnered with Ride Rarotonga who provide the latest in mountain bikes for your riding pleasure!

Mountain biking

Sea Scooter Safari

Our safari’s are approximately 90 mins including fitting of mask, snorkel and fins as well as a safety and use of scooter briefing. After a short play in the water to make sure everyone is all good we heard out into the lagoon. The scooters travel at 4km an hour pulling you along effortlessly as we swim through schools of fish. Our guides take you through some of the best marine snorkelling spots inside the lagoon but for the more adventurous we run tours outside the reef to a shipwreck.

We are the only sea scooter safari operator on the island and our professional guides give you the best snorkelling experience on the rock.

Ocean Safari

Our premium ocean safari is only for those who are comfortable in the open sea and won’t freak out if we see an occasional reef shark. We take in the beautiful Coral Gardens and a 100 year old shipwreck. The blues of the open ocean are electric and the clarity of the water is absolutely stunning. We also use our premium Sea Doo RS1 Sea Scooters which are amazing. Join us on this premium adventure!.

Cost

$110

Duration

90 minutes including safety brief and gear fitting

Numbers

4 minimum - 12 maximum

Restrictions

Must be able to swim and be a competent snorkeler. Must be comfortable in the open ocean.

Turtle Safari

Have you ever swam with turtles? Our amazing turtle safari gets you up and close with Green and Hawksbill Turtles. The Hawksbill are on the endangered list with only 20,000 worldwide today. Our aim is to teach locals and tourists about our turtles and create a sanctuary for them.

Cost

$110

Duration

90 mins

Minimum/Maximum Numbers

4 minimum - 12 maximum

Restrictions

Nine years and above. Must be able to swim comfortably and have snorkelling experience.

Lagoon Safari

Ariki Awesome Foursome

The Ariki Awesome Foursome is a full day (8 hours) adventure circumnavigation of Rarotonga. You’ll mountain bike some awesome inland trails, sea scooter safari our lagoons or local shipwrecks outside the reef (conditions apply), learn to stand up paddle board and snorkel some of the best locations around the island. We provide lunch and finish off at the special location for a well deserved drink or two. This is easily the best adventure you’ll have on the rock! Additional options include a Night SUP Lagoon Tour or an “On The Fly” introduction to kitesurfing lesson. Its simply awesome!

Ariki's Shack Open For Business

Ariki's Shack in Muri Rarotonga

Ariki’s Shack established in Oct 2016 offering cold brewed iced coffee and tea as well as espresso. No one else on Rarotonga does cold brewed coffee and tea so this is another first for Ariki Holidays Group. The Shack is the “funkiest little shack on the rock” and is set right on the main road in Muri. A beautiful garden setting along side Maria File’s Art Gallery. Ariki’s Shack is also the booking office for all Ariki Adventure Tours.

Cold-brewed coffee is like iced coffee’s cooler sibling. They’re made of the same stuff, but one’s a little more “in”—and one’s well-known and loved, but a bit passé. Dare we say it: Cold brew is the summer beverage—caffeinated and cold, two adjectives you and your money can get behind. The main difference between cold brew and iced coffee involves temperature. That is, cold brew is brewed cold and never heated, while iced coffee is normal coffee that’s then cooled down.

Here are a few things that transformed cold-brew from alternative iced coffee to ubiquitous coffee shop darling (and why we’re all about it):

Lower acidity level: The grounds aren’t subjected to the intense heat of boiling water, making the chemical profile of the final brew different than that of conventionally brewed or drip coffee. Lower acidity creates a smoother cup that’s mellow on the stomach. Similarly, rapidly cooling hot coffee yields a slightly bitter taste. Cold brew’s lower acidity means it naturally tastes sweeter.

Watery problems, no more: Ever poured hot coffee over ice? Then you’re familiar with diluted coffee. And watery coffee is sad. Cold brew puts the dilution in your hands. Since it’s already cold or at room temperature, the addition of ice or added water is entirely optional.

A more caffeinated cup: While caffeine is more soluble and extracts more easily at higher temperatures, cold brew’s high bean-to-water ratio and longer brew time give it more buzz. Add milk or cream to temper intensity, if you like.

The Benefits of Coconut and the Tree of Life

Coconut trees and stars at night

At Ariki Bungalows, we show guest how to husk the Nu and mature coconuts as well as how to grate the meat and turn it into coconut cream, perfect for fresh Pina Coladas. Come join us!

Coconuts are known for their great versatility, as evidenced by many traditional uses, ranging from food to cosmetics. In the Cook Islands it is known as the “Tree of Life”. Apparently the rest of the world has just caught onto this amazing discovery and it is sold across the globe in one form or another as the elixir of life. Here in the Cooks, we’ve known that forever, go figure.

The coconut is a mature fruit of the cocos nucifera palm. It can be a tall-growing tree that may reach more than 100 feet in height but other varieties only grow to 6 or 7 feet but still produce a healthy crop of Coconuts. They have a lifetime of about 75 to 100 years. Once planted, it may take about 4-5 years to begin their first produce, and often, quite longer time in some species. In a season, a single coconut palm may yeild 20-150 mature nuts.

Young coconuts contain more water and soft, gel-like meat whereas mature coconuts have firm meat and less water.
Young coconuts are the most health enhancing of the two. The water in the young coconut is one of the highest sources of electrolytes. Electrolytes are responsible for keeping the body properly hydrated so the muscles and nerves can function appropriately. Therefore it is more beneficial to drink the water from a young coconut after an intense workout rather than the commercial sports drinks we see advertised.

Coconut water is also low in calories, carbohydrates, and sugars, and almost completely fat-free. In addition, it is high in ascorbic acid, B vitamins, and proteins. Furthermore, the soft meat, or flesh, inside the coconut helps to restore oxidative tissue damage and contains a source of healthy fats, proteins, and various vitamins and minerals.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Coconuts

Supports immune system health: it is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasite.

Provides a natural source of quick energy and enhances physical and athletic performance.

Improves digestion and absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Improves insulin secretion and symptoms associated with diabetes.

Helps protect the body from cancers due to insulin reduction, removal of free radicals that cause premature aging and degenerative disease.

Stay & play on one of our package combos

The best value kite camps in the South Pacific! Learn at your own pace over five magical days in Rarotonga while your partner enjoys a relaxing stay at Ariki Bungalows. Better yet you can both join in the fun and build memories together. Our camps run year round and are limited to two people per kite-camp which means we devote all our attention to your learning! At the end of each day we sit down in Te Arenui (Meeting House) over a cold drink and review each day’s progression. Not only that, you’ll enjoy plenty of FREE extras not available anywhere else in the South Pacific.

Note that in the case of no wind a full or partial refund of the kiteboarding portion of the fee will be offered depending on instruction and or free ride time used.

Jules

I am originally from the UK, a qualified Sport Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer and Sports Podiatrist. I have been in NZ for nearly 20 years working in Sports Medicine and I have been fortunate to meet and help some amazing people. For sport I love triathlon and have done many, including Ironman. I have tried most sports and I am now a kiteboarder as well and loving it so far!

I have stayed in a variety if accomodation all over the world, some great, and some not so great and my aim, along with KT is to do our very best to share this beautiful Island we now call home and give you a holiday to remember.

Kave

Kave (pronounced “ca” as in car and “ve” as in vet.)

I’m a proud NZ born Cook Islander, who has served with the NZ Defence Force for 20+ years and has been lucky enough to have travelled the globe. Kiteboarding is my passion and establishing Ariki Holidays where people could “stay and play” was always the long term goal after leaving the Air Force. Along with my best friend and wife Jules and of course our dog Tama, we aim to bring you the magic of the Cook Islands in an environment that has it all and provides real value for money. The ARIKI experience.

Kia Manuia

KT

Tama

I am a Pure Bred Raro. Born of unknown parents and dropped off in a sack at Esther Honey with my two siblings. Picked by my new parents at 6 weeks old and had my first paddleboard ride at 11 weeks old. I like going out day and night paddling, swimming and eating food. I love spending time with our Ariki Bungalows guests too because they feed me on the sly so everyone is happy. Come paddle with our family, its fun!